ka-thunkka-thnkka-thunkka-thnk
While listening to and feeling the faint reverberations of the train as it made its way toward Camphrier Town, Jason gazed out the full-length window at the breathtaking, sparsely populated vistas that defined the Kalos Region and much of the Pokémon world. The scene before him was one of grassy plains and gently sloping hills pockmarked by sapphire blue lakes. And far in the distance, tinted blue by atmospheric refraction, snow and ice-capped mountains dominated the horizon.
"Ren want battle..." muttered Ren, standing next to Jason on his seat, the pink pads of her paws imprinting against the private train car's window as she gazed at the many Pokémon who called the panoramic view home.
"Oh! Look there, Jason! There's a pride of Pyroar! They must be preparing for a hunt to be out in such numbers...!" exclaimed Rotom, looking excited as he enthusiastically photographed a group of lion-like Pokémon, two of whom had fiery manes and flame-tipped tails. Jason's gaze was drawn to the scene, but his expression hardly changed, his thoughts wandering to the fates of the Pokémon destined to be killed and eaten by the majestic-looking, fire-breathing big cats. Based on those he could see right there and then, he presumed their target would be the large herd of Grass-type Gogoat and Skiddo drinking water a few hundred meters from the forest they had emerged from.
shhhhhhhhk
Drawn to the sound of the door opening, which even had a sliding side door connecting to a four-person sleeping quarters, Jason smiled at the sight of Korrina, Laani, and Alexa returning with a basket of glass-bottled drinks and colorful, Pokémon-themed snacks.
"We're back! And we brought food and refreshments~" chimed Korrina, entering the cabin and naturally occupying the seat to Jason's left while Alexa sat on the three-person, maroon-cushioned, bench-like seat across from them. Laani, on the other hand, borrowed a page from Ren's book by approaching the window and staring out of it with her four-fingered paws on the glass. It was her first time riding a train, and she clearly found the experience fascinating.
"Welcome back..." greeted Jason, his brain briefly blanking when Korrina gave him a fleeting kiss on the cheek before handing him a green bottle of clearly carbonated liquid, explaining, "This is one of my favorite regional beverages, Lumifizz. It's super delicious, but be careful not to drink it too quickly. It won't actually burn your throat, but people who've never tried it describe a cold, burning sensation when they drink it carelessly."
Using her bare fingers, Korrina casually removed the Lumifizz's cap before she and Alexa watched Jason expectantly. He got the distinct impression that they were waiting for him to do a spit take, but after a preliminary sip, he discovered it was just a tarter version of the Sprite he was familiar with from his previous world.
"Color me impressed. Most nonnatives who try Lumifizz end up spitting it out or shooting it from their nose the first time they try drinking it," noted Alexa, confirming Jason's suspicions. Then, catching him a little off guard, though it didn't show on his face, she casually questioned, "Did they have something similar back in the world you came from...?"
Raising his right brow in both real and feigned confusion, Jason turned his head to meet Korrina's gaze. When he noticed she was similarly confused, he then looked to Alexa and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, come now. We're all friends here, and everything that's said between friends is naturally off the record~" expressed Alexa, waving her left hand in front of her face before gesturing with her chin at Korrina and revealing, "Korrina here is definitely the type to force her responsibilities onto others to satisfy her appetite for a good battle. But she's not so far gone that she would completely leave the region to partake in a foreign League midway through the Kalos Conference season."
Shifting her gaze to Jason, Alexa's green eyes glistened with intrigue as she asserted, "I've known Korrina for years. But, beyond that, I wouldn't be able to call myself a Journalist if I didn't investigate the reason for her mid-season interest in the Alola Island Challenge. And everything I found pointed to the League working with the Aether Foundation to cover up an anomaly that had originated near Shalour City..."
"And that makes you think I'm from a different world...?" asked Jason, his expression and tone tinged with feigned humor.
Shaking her head, Alexa's smile broadened, her gaze causing Korrina to flush in embarrassment as she revealed, "The reason I think you're from another world is that Korrina here grew increasingly flustered when I tried asking her about your past, hometown, and other information she should have been able to answer easily as your girlfriend. Then there's you..."
Returning her gaze to Jason, Alexa confidently asserted, "It's the look in your eyes. You don't observe our world like someone who's experiencing something new for the first time. When a child or a young Trainer does the same thing, they give a sense of knowing their place, where they want to go, and what they want to do. When I look at you, you give the impression that you're just along for the ride—like you have no idea what you want to do because you're still trying to figure out how to fit in."
"I can't confirm anything you've said..." countered Jason, his expression and tone calm as he shook his head, met Alexa's gaze with a faint smile, and expressed, "But you're mistaken about one thing. I might feel like an outsider, but I know precisely what I want to accomplish. I will return the kindness that's been shown to me and help those I've come to care about achieve their dreams. That is the purpose I've assigned myself, and I can think of none greater..."
"Jason..." muttered Korrina, squeezing Jason's left hand and staring at his side profile with a wide-eyed, radiant smile. Their interaction garnered the attention of Ren, Laani, and the silently observing Rotom, but it was Alexa who broke the silence that followed.
Raising her hands in a gesture of faux surrender, Alexa conceded, "Alright, fair enough. I only brought this up because I was worried that Korrina had gotten herself dragged into something troublesome. Now that I know how serious you are, I won't press or investigate the matter further."
Lowering her hands and crossing both her legs and arms, accentuating her sizeable bosom and nearly drawing Jason's gaze to the window that displayed the cleavage, Alexa glanced at Korrina with a teasing smile and hummed, "I'm just glad you found a boy who can keep up with you. Where he came from is less important."
"Thanks for understanding, Alexa. I would really like to tell you more, but it's all hush-hush at the moment~" chimed Korrina, giving Jason a sudden and intense urge to facepalm as her words were all but confirmation that he was from another world. Fortunately, Alexa just smiled and covered her mouth to stiffle a faint chuckle before changing topics to discuss Korrina's time in Alola. In the meantime, as she kept turning to stare at him with her large, red, black-sclera eyes, Jason asked Korrina for Laani's brush before he spent much of the remaining three-and-a-half-hour train ride carefully grooming her and Ren...
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After disembarking the train at the scenic and storied Camphrier Town, Jason's gaze was immediately drawn to a set of tiered, forested cliffs that dominated the town's northern view. Seated atop them was a huge castle comprised of pale, green-hued stone with multiple green-tiled towers and turrets. From afar, it looked like a castle constructed by and for giants, but he only glanced at it briefly before his gaze was drawn to two women who smiled and waved at Ren as they passed.
'French Maids...?' Jason mused, briefly meeting the gazes of the duo and supplying them a curt nod that caused them to giggle and draw closer to one another as they continued on their way. As he followed them with his gaze and looked around, he noticed that everyone else roaming the clean cobblestone streets was wearing attire reminiscent of 1940s France. But as Camphrier Town and its renowned Shabboneau Castle were among the oldest in Kalos, it suited them perfectly.
bee-de-dahbee-de-dahbee-de-dahbee-de-dah
"Oh? Someone's challenging me to a dynamic battle! How exciting~!" chimed Korrina, drawing Jason's, Alexa's, Ren's, and Laani's gazes as she fished her white, red-trimmed Rotom phone out of its case. On the screen was the full-body image of a spiky, green-haired man in a white karate gi posing with a Poké Ball in his right hand and a confident smile. Above that was his current Rank, 06093, and in the bottom-right corner was a faintly pulsing map icon that would guide him and Korrina to the nearest suitable battlefield.
"Other Trainers can just challenge you whenever they want...?" asked Jason, picking Ren up and placing her on his shoulders before moving closer to stare at Korrina's screen from over her right shoulder.
"Not exactly," interjected Alexa, explaining, "While it's possible for two Trainers to meet and challenge each other organically, that usually only applies to fixed locations like stadiums and Gyms. To avoid match-fixing and other problematic practices, the League arranges matches between Trainers based on their profiles, their current win-loss ratio, and whether or not they're prepared to participate in certain match types."
Piggybacking off Alexa's words, Korrina explained, "Not a lot of Trainers are willing to participate in Dynamic Battles due to the risk of injury, but I have my profile set to accept all challenges. I can refuse, of course, but it will count as a loss on my record."
"Mmn...thanks for the explanation..." muttered Jason, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the Trainer who sought to be Korrina's opponent. It was difficult to gauge the man's height with something to compare him to, but he had large biceps, and his partly open gi revealed defined pectorals and the upper half of a six-pack.
"Are you worried about me~?" asked Korrina, bumping Jason's chest with her right shoulder and smiling as she reminded, "Don't forget that I'm the leader of a Fighting-type Gym. This guy may be a skilled black belt, but I received my own when I was four. I'm not going to lose just because he's bigger than me."
"I believe in you..." affirmed Jason, nodding. He couldn't help but feel at least a little worried, but since the image of Korrina shattering a Pinscer's steel-like carapace with an ax kick was carved into his mind, he knew she wasn't so frail that she needed his—the concern of someone much, much weaker...
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Following Korrina's match confirmation, she, Jason, and Alexa spoke with the platform personnel to reschedule for a later departure before making their way to a predominantly dirt, boulder-littered battlefield located west of the town. There, four men of various shapes and sizes and one woman, all dressed in matching gi, stood with their arms crossed, conversing with a bright yellow Rotom drone.
"Holy Arceus! Look over there! It really is the Korrina...!" exclaimed one of the men, noticing the approach of Jason, Korrina, Alexa, and Ren from the direction of the well-maintained, stone-paved road connecting to Route 7 and the renowned Battle Chateau.
Seeing the group of previously serious-looking martial artists begin to fangasm over Korrina appearing in her custom-made brown, beige, and black Lopunny-themed battle ensemble, most of Jason's concerns were abated. Even the Trainer who had challenged her looked star-struck, so while he would undoubtedly attempt to take their match seriously, he was clearly overwhelmed by Korrina's effortless charm and star power...
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